Self-driving system with RFID reader and built-in printer

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a self-driving system having an RFID reader and a built-in printer. In one embodiment, a self-driving system includes a mobile base having one or more motorized wheels, the mobile base having a first end and a second end opposing the first end, a console coupled in an upright position to the first end of the mobile base, and a tag reader integrated with the console, the tag reader having a sensor surface facing upwardly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/529,490, filed on Aug. 1, 2019, which herein isincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND Field

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to improved self-driving systemswith printing and radio frequency identification (RFID) readingcapability.

Description of the Related Art

Self-driving systems such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (ARMs) orAutomatic Guided Vehicles (self-driving systems) are driverless,programmable controlled system that can transport a load over longdistances. Self-driving systems can provide a safer environment forworkers, inventory items, and equipment with precise and controlledmovement. Some develops have incorporated electronics to theself-driving systems for identifying objects via RFID technology.However, such design can cause inventory related issues due tounintended reading of RFID tags on the objects and/or shelves that maypresent along the route of traveling without worker's knowledge.Therefore, there exists a need for improved self-driving systems foridentification of objects with minimized interference.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure include self-driving systemshaving an RFID reader and built-in printer. In one embodiment, aself-driving system is provided. The self-driving system includes amobile base having one or more motorized wheels, the mobile base havinga first end and a second end opposing the first end, a console coupledin an upright position to the first end of the mobile base, and a tagreader integrated with the console, the tag reader having a sensorsurface facing upwardly.

In another embodiment, a self-driving system is provided. Theself-driving system includes a mobile base having one or more motorizedwheels, a console coupled in an upright position to the mobile base, anda printer integrated with the console.

In yet another embodiment, a self-driving system is provided. Theself-driving system includes a mobile base having one or more motorizedwheels, a console having a display, the console coupling in an uprightposition to the mobile base, a RFID reader coupled to the console, theRFID reader having a sensor surface operable to read RIFD tags placedon, over, or directly over the sensor surface, a printer coupled to theconsole, the printer has a paper discharge port disposed at a side ofthe console, and an image sensing camera disposed at the console, theimage sensing camera being pointed forward and down.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-driving system according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1 showing a portion of theself-driving system according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the self-driving system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the self-driving system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the self-driving system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the self-drivingsystem showing a roll paper feeder in a fully opened position.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the consoleaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a warehouse using self-driving systems fortransporting packages according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the self-driving system according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in oneembodiment may be beneficially utilized with other embodiments withoutspecific recitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to self-driving systemshaving an RFID reader and a built-in printer. The RFID reader is facedup so that only RFID tags over the RFID reader can be read. The built-inprinter is responsive to the RFID tags scanned for printing a shippinglabel. The self-driving system also includes a down-forward facingcamera for obstacle avoidance. It should be understood that while theterm “self-driving system” is used in this disclosure, the concept ofvarious embodiments in this disclosure can be applied to anyself-driving vehicles and mobile robots, such as autonomously-navigatingmobile robots, inertially-guided robots, remote-controlled mobilerobots, and robots guided by laser targeting, vision systems, orroadmaps. Various embodiments are discussed in greater detail below withrespect to FIGS. 1-9.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-driving system 100 according toone embodiment of the present disclosure. The self-driving systems canbe used as package carriers in various operating systems, such aswarehouses, hospitals, airports, and other environments that may useautomated package transportation. The self-driving system 100 generallyincludes a mobile base 102 and a console 104. The mobile base 102 has arear end 103 and a front end 105 opposing the rear end 103. The console104 is coupled to the front end 105 of the mobile base 102 in a standingor upright configuration. If desired, the mobile base can move up anddown vertically using one or more actuators embedded inside the mobilebase.

The self-driving system 100 is capable of moving autonomously betweendesignated areas within a facility based on pre-stored commands orinstructions received from a remote server. The remote server mayinclude a warehouse management system. The mobility of the self-drivingsystem 100 is achieved through one or more motorized wheels 110 and aplurality of stabilizing wheels 112. The motorized wheels 110 areconfigured to rotate and/or roll in any given direction to move theself-driving system 100. For example, the motorized wheels 110 canrotate about the Z-axis and roll forward or backward on the ground aboutits axel spindle along any directions, such as along the X-axis or alongthe Y-axis. The motorized wheels 110 may be controlled to roll atdifferent speed. The stabilizing wheels 112 may be caster-type wheels.If desired, any or all of the stabilizing wheels 112 may be motorized.In this disclosure, moving forward refers to the situation when thefront end 105 is the leading end and moving backward refers to thesituation when the rear end 103 is the leading end. The self-drivingsystem 100 has one or more emergency stop button 119 configured to stopa moving self-driving system when pressed.

A display 108 is coupled to the console 104 and configured to displayinformation. The display 108 can be any suitable user input device forproviding information associated with operation tasks, map of thefacility, routing information, inventory information, and inventorystorage, etc. The display 108 also allows a human operator to controlthe operation of the self-driving system 100. If manual use of theself-driving system is desired, the operator can override the automaticoperation of the self-driving system 100 by entering updated commandsvia the display 108.

The self-driving system 100 includes one or more cameras configured tocapture images and/or videos of the surroundings of the self-drivingsystem 100. The camera may be disposed at the console 104 (e.g., camera121) and/or at the display 108 (e.g., camera 137). The cameras 121, 137face away from the rear end 103 of the self-driving system 100. Thecameras 121, 137 can be disposed at other locations of the self-drivingsystem 100 facing sideways to achieve the same purposes.

In some examples, the camera 137 can be a people/object recognitioncamera used to identify the operator and/or the object (e.g., items withRFID tag). The camera 121 can be an overview camera used to detect ashelf and/or a human operator so that a proper/pre-determined distanceis maintained between the self-driving system 100 and the operator undervarious operation modes. In one example shown in FIG. 2, the camera 121points to a direction that is at an angle “8” with respect to thelongitudinal direction “D” of the console 104. The angle “8” may be in arange from about 60 degrees to about 125 degrees, such as about 80degrees to about 105 degrees, for example about 90 degrees. It iscontemplated that any suitable angle can be used depending on the needs.

The camera 121, 137 may include a monocular camera, a binocular camera,and/or a stereo camera and can be configured to detect the operator,capture the image of the operator, and abstract the characteristics ofthe operator, such as facial features of the operator, a shape of theoperator, bone structures of the operator, a pose/gesture of theoperator, the clothing of the operator, or any combination thereof, forpurpose of following the operator while maintaining a pre-determineddistance with the operator in any given direction. To follow theoperator, the self-driving system 100 may move forward, with the frontend 105 as the leading end, i.e., the console 104 facing the operator.If the self-driving system 100 was moving backward previously, forexample under the self-navigating mode or the leading mode, theself-driving system 100 may turn to move forward after switching to thefollowing mode. If desired, any of the cameras 121, 137 can beconfigured as a steerable camera to rotate in both horizontal andvertical directions, allowing the self-driving system 100 tocontinuously follow the operator or any type of object—even if anobstacle is in the moving path of the self-driving system 100.

In some embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodimentsdiscussed in this disclosure, the self-driving system 100 includes oneor more depth image sensing cameras, such as Time-of-Flight (ToF)cameras. The depth image sensing cameras can be used for objectidentification and/or obstacle avoidance. The self-driving system 100may have one or more depth image sensing cameras 144 disposed at thefront end 105 and/or rear end 103 of the mobile base 102. In someembodiments, the self-driving system 100 may have one or more depthimage sensing cameras 111 disposed at the front end 105 and/or rear end103 of the console 104.

For effective capture of object/obstacle that may present along theroute of traveling, such as pallets or other low-profile objects, thedepth image sensing cameras (e.g., depth image sensing camera 111) maypoint forward and down (i.e., a down-forward facing camera). In oneexample shown in FIG. 2, the depth image sensing camera 111 points to adirection that is at an angle “a” with respect to the longitudinaldirection “D” of the console 104. The angle “a” may be in a range fromabout 30 degrees to about 85 degrees, such as about 40 degrees to about65 degrees, for example about 45 degrees. The depth image sensing camera144 may point forward (i.e., a front-facing camera). In one example, thedepth image sensing camera 144 is pointed to a direction that is at anangle “β” with respect to the longitudinal direction “D” of the console104. The angle “β” can be identical to angle “θ” discussed above, oradjusted to any suitable angle depending on the needs. In one example,the angle “β” is about 90 degrees.

The self-driving system 100 may include one or more proximity sensors todetect the presence of objects nearby and/or measure distances from theobjects nearby. For example, one or more sensors 156 may be providedaround the mobile base 102 (only two sides are shown). The sensors 156may be any suitable sonar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors,radar sensors, LiDAR sensors and/or any suitable proximity sensors thatcan be configured to detect the presence of nearby objects. Each sensor156 can be configured to sense a field of view greater about 90 degrees.

In some embodiments, one or more sensors 109 are further provided at thefront end 105 and the rear end 103 of mobile base 102, respectively, forobstacle avoidance. Alternatively or additionally, a sensor 158 can bedisposed at a cutout 148 extended around the body of the mobile base102. The extension of the cutout 148 allows the sensors to providegreater sensing area for the self-driving system 100. The sensor 158 maybe disposed at one or more corners of the mobile base 102. The sensor109, 158 may be any suitable sonar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, infraredsensors, radar sensors, and/or laser sensors such as LiDAR (lightdetection and ranging) sensors, or any combination thereof. Each sensorcan be configured to sense a field of view greater about 90 degrees, forexample about 270 degrees.

The combination of the information recorded, detected, and/or measuredby the cameras 111, 121, 137, 144 and/or sensors 109, 156, 158 can alsobe used to help autonomously move the self-driving system 100 in a givendirection with the operator while avoiding nearby obstacles, and/orautonomously maintain the self-driving system 100 in a front, rear, orside follow position to the operator. Embodiments of the self-drivingsystem 100 can include any combination, number, and/or location ofcameras 111, 121, 137, 144 and/or sensors 109, 156, 158 coupled to themobile base 102 and/or the console 104, depending on the application.

A charging pad 123 can be provided at the front end 105 or rear end 103of the mobile base 102 to allow automatic charging of the self-drivingsystem 100 upon docking of the self-driving system 100 with respect to acharging station (not shown).

In some embodiments, the console 104 is integrated with a RFID reader101. The RFID reader 101 can be disposed at the console 104. The RFIDreader 101 has a sensor surface 117 facing upwardly to interrogate thepresence of items placed on, over, or directly over the sensor surface117 by wirelessly detecting and reading unique RFID tags attached toeach item. The sensor surface 117 is sized to facilitate easy placementof items thereon. In some examples, one or more cameras (e.g.,people/object recognition camera 137) may turn on or remain on duringoperation of the self-driving system 100 to allow reading RFID tags andidentifying item(s) concurrently or sequentially. The term RFID readeror tag reader used in this disclosure refers to any device capable ofautomatically identifying tags attached to objects using electromagneticenergy or the like. The tags may be inductively coupled or capacitivelycoupled RFID tags containing electronically stored information.

In one example, the sensor surface 117 is pointed to a direction that isparallel to the longitudinal direction “D” of the console 104. In mostcases, the sensor surface 117 points to a direction that isperpendicular to the ground or traveling direction of the self-drivingsystem 100. The longitudinal direction of the display 108 may be held atan angle of about 105 degrees to about 165 degrees, such as about 120degrees to about 150 degrees, with respect to the sensor surface 117 ofthe RFID reader 101. As will be discussed in more detail with respect toFIG. 7, the RFID reader 101 is arranged so that only items positioned onor over the RFID reader 101 can be read.

One or more baskets 125 can be provided to the console 104 of theself-driving system 100. The baskets 125 may be disposed at the opposingsides of the console to help the operator store tools needed forpacking, such as scissors and tapes.

The self-driving system 100 is also integrated with a printer 126. Theprinter 126 can be disposed at any desired location of the console 104,such as at the top portion of the console 104 near the RFID reader 101.The printer is responsive to the RFID tags scanned by the RFID reader101 for printing a label. The printer can communicate with the remoteserver, such as the remote server 940 to be discussed in FIG. 9, toreceive and/or print additional information associated with the item.The label may be a peel-type laminated label material which can bepeeled off to expose an adhesive backing. The label is printed through apaper discharge port 128, which may be located at the front end 105 ofthe console 104. Once the label is printed, the operator can peel theback off of the label and place the label on the item, or a boxcontaining the items that is to be shipped. The label may contain theinformation about the recipient such as the name, shipping address,etc., that is provided by the operator and/or received from the remoteserver.

The built-in printer allows the operator to label and pack the items tobe shipped at the self-driving system 100. Once all the items have beenlabeled and packed, the operator can send the self-driving system 100that is loaded with the packed items directly to a shipping area. Asopposed to the conventional approach in which the collected items aremanually sent to a packing area by a hand truck for labeling/packing andthen to the shipping area, the operator can scan, label and pack theitems to be shipped right at the self-driving system 100, which are thensent directly to the shipping area. Self-driving systems having abuilt-in printer thus cut down the overall shipping time associated withorder(s) because the shipped items are collected, scanned, packed andtransported quickly on a time-efficient basis. As a result, the overheadcost for the manufacturer is reduced.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the self-driving system 100. FIG.4 is a side view of the self-driving system 100. FIG. 5 is a top view ofthe self-driving system 100. FIGS. 3 and 4 further illustrate a rollpaper feeder 302 coupling to the built-in printer 126. The roll paperfeeder 302 may be disposed at the back side of the console 104. The rollpaper feeder 302 can be opened for loading new paper sheet for labelprinting. FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of theself-driving system 100 showing the roll paper feeder 302 in a fullyopened position. The roll paper feeder 302 includes a cover 602 forcovering an opening 604 on the back side of the console 104. The cover602 has a profile shaped in accordance with a roll of the paper sheet603. The roll paper feeder 302 can be closed and opened by pulling thecover 602 up and down. The cover 602 can be engaged or disengaged fromthe back side of the console 104 through a locking mechanism (notshown). When releasing the lock, the cover 602 falls down and towardsthe rear end 103 of the self-driving system 100 by, for example a springforce, to expose the roll of the paper sheet 603.

The roll of the paper sheet 603 is removably supported by a shaft or rod606 attached to the cover 602 for ease of replacement. When the cover602 is at a closing position, the roll of the paper sheet 603 can storewithin a housing 608 of the console 104. The housing 608 has a pair ofsupporting frame 605 extending from the display 108 to the upper portionof the console 104. The supporting frame 605 can be coupled to the backside of the display 108 and the console 104 by screws or any suitablemanner.

When the RFID reader 101 detects a RFID tag of an item and confirmed bythe operator, a printing request will be sent to the printer 126 toprint the paper sheet (i.e., shipping label). The printed paper sheetthen advances towards the paper discharge port 128 (FIG. 1) forreleasing the printed paper sheet.

The self-driving system 100 includes a positioning device 610 coupled tothe console 104. In one example, the positioning device 610 is disposedat the back side of the display 108. The positioning device 610 isconfigured to communicate information regarding position of theself-driving system 100 to the remote server. The positioning device 610can be controlled by a circuit board, which includes at least acommunication module, disposed in the console 104. The positioninformation and task instructions (if any) may be sent to thecommunication module wirelessly over an internet, through a wiredconnection, or using any suitable manner to communicate with the remoteserver. Examples of wireless communication may include, but are notlimited to, ultra-wideband (UWB), radio frequency identification (activeand/or passive), Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or any other suitable form ofcommunication using IoT technology.

In one embodiment, the positioning device 610 is an UWB based device610. Ultra-wideband described in this disclosure refers to a radio wavetechnology that uses low energy for short-range, high-bandwidthcommunications over a large portion of the radio spectrum, whichincludes frequencies within a range of 3 hertz to 3,000 gigahertz. TheUWB based device 610 has a wireless transceiver 612 (which may includethree antennas), which is configured to receive signals (such as a radiofrequency wave) from one or more UWB tags that can be placed at variouslocations of the facility, such as on the shelves or building poles of awarehouse. The signal is communicated by a transmitter of the UWB tagsto the transceiver 612 to determine the position of the self-drivingsystem 100 relative to the UWB tags.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the console 104according to one embodiment. The RFID reader 101 is disposed in a holder702. The holder 702 is located below the sensor surface 117 of the RFIDreader 101. The holder 702 can have an opening, a bottom 715 opposingthe opening, and four side walls 717 extending upwardly from the bottom715. The side walls 717 and the bottom 715 of the holder 702 aresurrounded by the housing 608 of the console 104. In some examples, theopening may be covered by a top. In such a case, the sensor surface 117may lean against the top. In any case, the side walls 717 and the bottom715 of the holder 702, except for the top, can comprise, or coated withan electromagnetic shielding material. Since the RFID reader 101 isresided in the holder 702 and have minimized or no ability to readthrough the side walls and the bottom of the holder 702, the RFID reader101 can only read RFID tags positioned over the holder 702 and does notaccidently read RFID tags of item(s) on the nearby shelves or otherself-driving systems passing by that are not intended to be scanned,thereby reducing misreads of RFID tags that would otherwise result indelaying the subsequent packing and shipping process.

Suitable electromagnetic shielding materials may include conductiveplastic, carbon material, conductive polymer, or any combinationthereof. Some examples may include, but are not limited to, copper,aluminum, iron, any metal or metal composite having a highelectromagnetic shield factor, graphene, graphite, carbon fiber, carbonnanotube, carbon powder, carbon black, ceramic materials such asferrite, magnetic iron nanomaterial, silicon carbide, silica, or thelike.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a warehouse 800 using self-driving systemsfor transporting packages according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The warehouse 800 may include at least a standby/chargingarea 802, a store area 804, and a shipping area 806. A plurality ofself-driving systems and one or more operators can transport and processpackages in the warehouse 800. FIG. 8 schematically demonstrates anexemplary task performed by self-driving system 100 a, which can havefeatures identical to the self-driving system 100 discussed in thisdisclosure.

In one aspect, the self-driving system 100 a may receive instructionsfrom a remote server go to the store area 804. The self-driving system100 a waiting at the standby/charging area 802 may travel from thestandby/charging area 802 to the store area 804 through route 818 underthe self-navigating mode to meet with an operator 200 a. Alternatively,the operator 200 a may come to the standby/charging area 802 to interactwith the self-driving system 100 a through the touch screen on thedisplay (e.g., display 108 discussed in FIG. 1). The self-driving system100 a can capture the image of the operator 200 a and send the image tothe remote server, which may then send a task instruction to theself-driving system 100 a based on the role of the operator 200 a. Theself-driving system 100 a receives and displays the task information onthe display so that the operator 200 a can decide whether to follow orto lead the self-driving system 100 a.

If the operator 200 a decides to follow the self-driving system 100 a,the operator 200 a may set the self-driving system 100 a to the leadingmode so that the operator 200 a follows the self-driving system 100 a tothe store area 804. The operator 200 a may also set the self-drivingsystem 100 a to the “following mode” through the display so that theself-driving system 100 a follows the operator 200 a to the store area804. To follow the operator 200 a, the self-driving system 100 a mayturn to move forward, with the front end 105 as the leading end, withthe console 104 facing the operator 200 a. In either case, theself-driving system 100 a can use the camera 121 and/or 137 to capturethe image of the operator 200 a and abstract the characteristics of theoperator 200 a, such as facial features, clothing and/or pose of theoperator, for purpose of leading or following the operator 200 a.

The route 818 may be chosen by the remote server or selected by theself-driving system 100 a based on the map information in the storagedevice of the self-driving system 100 a or based on the positioninginformation obtained using UWB technology and/or markers/QRcodes/barcodes within the facility to determine the best route for suchtask.

After arriving at the store area 804, the operator 200 b may check thedisplay of the self-driving system 100 a to find out, or confirm thetask instructions given to the operator 200 b, which may includecollecting X number of Item A from Shelf (1) to fulfill a purchase orderfrom a customer Y. The operator 200 b then move X number of Item A fromthe Shelf (1) to the self-driving system 100 b. Once the required numberof items have been collected, the operator 200 a may scan the itemsusing the RFID reader (e.g., RFID reader 101 discussed in FIG. 1) andprint the shipping label associated with the purchase order. Theoperator 200 may pack the items, attach the shipping label to the packeditems, and then send the self-driving system 100 a loaded with thepacked items directly to the shipping area 806. The self-driving system100 a may transport the packed items from the store area 804 to theshipping area 806 (or any other preferred location) through route 812under the self-navigating mode. The self-navigating mode may be chosenby the remote server or selected by the self-driving system 100 a basedon the map information in the storage device of the self-driving system100 a or based on the positioning information obtained using UWBtechnology and/or markers/QR codes/barcodes within the facility todetermine the best route for such task. In the self-navigating mode, theself-driving system 100 a may move backwards, i.e., with the rear end103 as the leading end. Alternatively, the operator 200 a may instructthe self-driving system 100 a to lead or follow the operator 200 a tothe shipping area 806 (or any other preferred locations).

In cases where the scanned item appears to be an item not belonging tothe Shelf (1), the operator 200 a may use a people/object recognitioncamera of the self-driving system 100 a (e.g., camera 137 discussed inFIG. 1) to scan the marker/QR codes/barcodes of the item to confirm ifthe item is the correct item outlined in the purchase order or the taskinstruction. If the scanned item is identified to be the correct item,then the self-driving system 100 a may require the operator 200 a toreplace the RFID tag found on the item with the correct RFID tag.

If the scanned item is identified to be a different item than the onerequired by the purchase order or the task instruction, then theoperator 200 a and/or the self-driving system 100 a can determine if theitem belongs to any of the nearby shelves. When the item belongs to anearby shelf, the operator 200 a will know, or be informed by theself-driving system 100 a and/or the remote server, that the item waspicked up in error and he/she can proceed to the correct shelf for thatitem. When the item does not belong to a nearby shelf and the correctitem is far from the current location of the self-driving system 100 a(e.g., the correct item is found to be Item D from Shelf (4)), theself-driving system 100 a and/or the operator 200 a may notify theremote server that item (s) on Shelf (1) do not match the record storedin the remote server and request that the content on Shelf (1) beupdated to Item D in the remote server.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the self-driving system 100 according toembodiments of the present disclosure. The self-driving system 100includes a controller 960 configured to control various operations ofthe self-driving system 100, which may include any one or moreembodiments discussed in this disclosure or any type of task as neededusing the self-driving system 100. The controller 960 can be aprogrammable central processing unit (CPU) or any suitable processorthat is operable with a memory. The controller 960 is in communicationwith a storage device 962 containing data for performing operations,such as map information 902, routing information 904, people recognitioninformation 906, item recognition information 908, inventory information910, task information 912, and the likes.

The controller 960 is also in communication with several modulesconfigured to control the operations of the self-driving system 100. Insome embodiments, the modules include a communication module 914, apositioning/navigation module 916, an item/user identification module918, a printing module 920, and an input module 922. The communicationmodule 914 is configured to transmit or receive information/instructionfrom a remote server 940, which may be a warehouse management system.The positioning/navigation module 916 is configured to communicateinformation regarding position/location of the self-driving system 100to the controller 960. The positioning/navigation module 916 is incommunication with an ultra-wideband (UWB) device 924 (e.g., UWB baseddevice 610) and an overview camera 926 (e.g., camera 121). The item/useridentification module 918 is configured to communicate informationregarding RFID detection and transmission as well as image of itemand/or operator. The item/user identification module 918 is incommunication with a RFID reader 928 (e.g., RFID reader 101) and apeople/object recognition camera 930 (e.g., camera 137). The printingmodule 920 is configured to receive information from the item/useridentification module 918 and instruction from the operator and/or thecontroller 960. The printing module 920 is in communication with aprinter (e.g., built-in printer 126) for printing a shipping label oncea RFID tag of an item is scanned. The input module 922 is configured toprovide and/or receive information to a display (e.g., display 108) ofthe self-driving system 100. The sensor module 918 is configured tocontrol and receive information from the sensors (e.g., sensors 109,156, 158) of the self-driving system 100.

The controller 960 is further in communication with a driving module 932and an obstacle avoidance module 934. The driving module 932 isconfigured to control movement of the motorized wheels of theself-driving system 100. The driving module 932 is in communication witha motor 936 (e.g., motorized wheels 110) and wheels 938 (e.g.,stabilizing wheels 112). The obstacle avoidance module 934 is configuredto capture of object/obstacle for object identification and/or obstacleavoidance. The obstacle avoidance module 934 is in communication withdepth image sensing cameras 942, 944 and a plurality sensors 946. Thedepth image sensing camera 942 can be a down-forward facing camera(e.g., camera 111) and the depth image sensing camera 944 can be afront-facing camera (e.g., camera 144). The sensors 946 can include anysensors suitable for detecting the presence of objects nearby and/ormeasure distances between the objects and the self-driving system 100(e.g., sensors 109, 156, 158).

The controller 960 is configured to control the movement and tasks to beperformed by the self-driving system 100, based at least in part on theinformation received from the storage device 962, thepositioning/navigation module 916, user input and/or the remote server.In one exemplary embodiment, the controller 960 can use thecommunication module 914 to receive task information 912 from the remoteserver 940, which may require X number of Item A be collected to fulfilla purchase order. The controller 960 controls the self-driving system100 to proceed to a target area (e.g., a store area) using the drivingmodule 932 and meet with an operator. Information regarding the operatorcan be stored on the storage device 962 and accessed by the controller960 and/or the operator. Information regarding the location of the shelfcan also be stored on the storage device 962 and accessed by thecontroller 960 and/or an operator for future reference as needed. At anytime, the controller 960 can retrieve data from thepositioning/navigation module 916 and information stored on the storagedevice 962, including the map information 902, the routing information904, the inventory information 910, and/or the task information 912,and/or the people recognition information 906 to help identify thecorrect shelf for the item A and operator suitable for performing thetask based on the image and characteristics of the operator using theUWB based device 924, the overview camera 926 and the people/objectrecognition camera 930. The controller 960 can also instruct theself-driving system 100 to avoid obstacle based on the data from theobstacle avoidance module 934 using the depth image sensing cameras 942,944 and sensors 946.

Once arriving at the target area, the operator may collect the requirednumber of Item A based on the task information provided to the inputmodule 922. The operator scans the RFID tags on the item A, bypositioning the item A over the RFID reader 928, to identify the item.In some cases, the people/object recognition camera 930 can also be usedto identify/confirm the item. If the scanned information does not matchthe inventory information stored in the remote server 940, the operatoris notified via the input module 922. The operator may then proceed withthe procedure described in FIG. 8. Once the correct number of Item A hasbeen collected, the operator may pack the Items A in a shipping box andinstruct the self-driving system 100 to print the shipping labelassociated with the purchase order. The controller 960 then obtain theshipping information from the storage device 962 and/or the remoteserver 940 and send the same to the printing module 920 for printing theshipping label. Once the shipping label is attached to the box, theoperator may send the self-driving system 100 to a target area (e.g., ashipping area). The self-driving system 100 may continue operation andthe process described above may be repeated until all the purchaseorders are fulfilled.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the disclosure, otherand further embodiments of the disclosure thus may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A self-driving system, comprising: a mobilebase having a first end and a second end opposing the first end, themobile base having one or more motorized wheels; a console coupled tothe first end of the mobile base, the console having a longitudinaldirection that is perpendicular to traveling direction of theself-driving system; a printer integrated with the console; a displaycoupled to the console; a first camera disposed at the display, thefirst camera facing the first end and being operable to identify anoperator; a second camera disposed at the console, the second camerafacing the first end and being operable to detect a low-profile object,the second camera pointing to a direction that is at 30 degrees to 85degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the console; athird camera disposed at the console, the third camera facing the firstend and being operable to detect an object so that a pre-determineddistance is maintained between the self-driving system and the object;and a fourth camera disposed at the mobile base, the fourth camerafacing the first end and being operable to detect an obstacle, thefourth camera pointing to a direction that is at 60 degrees to 125degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the console. 2.The self-driving system of claim 1, further comprising: a roll paperfeeder disposed at the console; and a paper discharge port operable todischarge a paper sheet from the roll paper feeder.
 3. The self-drivingsystem of claim 1, further comprising: an ultra-wideband (UWB) baseddevice coupled to the console, the UWB based device being operable todetermine position of the self-driving system.
 4. The self-drivingsystem of claim 1, further comprising: a basket disposed at a side ofthe console.
 5. A self-driving system, comprising: a mobile base; aconsole coupled to the mobile base, the console having a longitudinaldirection that is perpendicular to traveling direction of theself-driving system; a printer integrated with the console; a roll paperfeeder disposed at the console; a paper discharge port disposed at theconsole; a display coupled to the console; a first camera disposed atthe display, the first camera being operable to identify an operator; asecond camera disposed at the console, the second camera being operableto detect a low-profile object, the second camera pointing to adirection that is at 30 degrees to 85 degrees with respect to thelongitudinal direction of the console; a third camera disposed at theconsole, the third camera being operable to detect an object so that apre-determined distance is maintained between the self-driving systemand the object; and a fourth camera disposed at the mobile base, thefourth camera being operable to detect an obstacle, the fourth camerapointing to a direction that is at 60 degrees to 125 degrees withrespect to the longitudinal direction of the console.
 6. Theself-driving system of claim 5, wherein the paper discharge port isdisposed at a first side of the console and the roll paper feeder isdisposed at a second side of the console opposite the first side.
 7. Theself-driving system of claim 6, further comprising: a positioning devicecoupled to the console.
 8. The self-driving system of claim 7, furthercomprising: a basket disposed at a side of the console.